Substantially, all present-day copiers, printers, plotters, etc., include a controlling microprocessor which requires input calibration data to assure high quality production of documents. Since most such apparatus allows user-replacement of consumable items, various techniques have been developed to enable entry of usage, calibration and other data.
In regards to ink jet printers, it has been proposed that print heads incorporate a parameter memory for storage of operating parameters such as: drop generator driver frequency, ink pressure and drop charging values (see "Storage of Operating Parameters in Memory Integral with Print Head", Lonis, Xerox Disclosure Journal, Volume 8, No. 6, November/December 1983, page 503). U.S. Pat. No. 5,138,344 to Ujita, entitled "Ink Jet Apparatus and Ink Jet Cartridge Therefor", indicates that an ink-containing replaceable cartridge can be provided with an integral information device (i.e., a resistor element, magnetic medium, bar code, integrated circuit or ROM), for storage of information relating to control parameters for the ink jet printer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,365,312 to Hillmann et al., entitled "Arrangement for Printer Equipment Monitoring Reservoirs that Contain Printing Medium", describes the use of memory devices integral with the ink reservoirs which store ink consumption data (for use by a coupled ink jet printer). European patent EP 0 720 916, entitled "Ink Supply Identification System for a Printer" describes the use of an ink supply having an integral EEPROM which is utilized to store data regarding the identity of the ink supply and its fill level.
The prior art further teaches the use of consumable parts with integral memory for use in electrophotographic printers. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,021,828 to Yamaguchi et al., entitled "Copying Apparatus having a Consumable Part", a toner cartridge is disclosed which includes a memory for storing data regarding to the state of consumption of toner in the cartridge. U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,088 to Gilliland et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,803,521 to Honda; U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,181 to Kurando et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,272,503 to LeSueur et al. all describe various replaceable toner cartridges for use in electrophotographic printers. Each cartridge incorporates a memory device for storing parameter data regarding the cartridge.
Ink jet and laser printers have, in recent years, become more sophisticated in their operational and control functionalities. For instance, many such printers exhibit resolutions at levels of 600 dots per inch (dpi), double the previous printer generation resolution of 300 dpi. At such higher resolutions, misadjustments which were not visible at lower resolution levels become highly visible. Further, such printers are now being applied to generation of grey-scale images on media, requiring precise density and tonal control of the deposited ink/toner.
Thus, while it has been known that changes in functionality of various elements of a printer interact to affect print quality, many of those interactions could be ignored in the lower resolution printers. However, with performance improvements of new printer designs, such interactions must now be taken into account and compensated to assure high quality print documents.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a print apparatus with an improved capability for adjustment of printer control functions.
It is another object of this invention to provide an improved printer control system which is able to update control parameters that are dependent upon current printer performance parameters contained on plural consumable parts.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide an improved ink jet printer which incorporates real time print control functions that are responsive to parameters read from plural consumable parts.